Cleaner silencer unit



sept. 22, 1959 w. w. MCMULLN 2,905,265

' CLEANER SILENCER UNIT Filed NGV. 16. 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY A Sept 22 1959 w. w. MCMULLEN 2,905,265

CLEANER SILENCER UNIT Filed Nov. 1e, 195s 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent O CLEANER ;s1LENcER.UNrr

Wesley` W. McMullen, Flint, Mich., assignor to General Motors i Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application November 16,1953, SerialNo. 392,338'

6 Claims.` (Cl. 18S-1,5)

This invention relates tol cleaner silencer units for engines andother devices having air induction means and hastparticular Vrelation to a` unitary cleanensilencer structure forv` automotive and other uses.

One. form of cleaner silencer structure whichhereto fore has been widely used for automotiveandotherfpur` poses is a structure which is assembled from various cleaner'and silencerv units. The unitsv employed have beenmore-or less standard units which could be usedin assembli-ngcanynumber of ditferentcleaner silencer structuresoflvarioussizes and capacities. While this method off constructingcleaner silencer` structures made possible the production of a relatively large number: ofdifferent deviceswith limitedtools and equipment, itV did'not provide the best and mosteconomical device for any specific applcatiorr It is-now--proposed to provide an-ineXpensive-cleaner silencerstructure in which the various partsl are particularly-designed to provide the most eicient device forthe space avail-able, Whichcan be made from a relatively small number of parts, which can be serviced'readily, which does not'include gaskets of any kind,- and which can' be serviced when required without disassembling vthe greaterpart of the structure.

In"-th"e drawing:

Figure 1- is a side elevational view with parts thereof broken awayfand illustrated in cross sectionand'illustratig a cleaner silencer unitstructure embracing the prineipleslof-'the invention. y i A Figure?. is anupper plan view of the structure disclosed byFigure 1 with parts thereof brokenaway to better yillustrate-the interior of the upper partof the structure,

The; cleaner silencerstructureltl comprises a main unitary outer casing 11 which is formed to provide a unitary closure element. for a cleanerelement 12 and a silencer element 13. i

The cleanerl element lzcomprises aY closure or casing 14` having a continuousside ,wall16 andvatbottom or lower wall`17 The bottom wall 17 isrformed to provide a closed'upwardly extending central partlssurrounded by. a downwardly extending annular` part` 12.v The space within the casing '14,is adapted to, be .lledentirely with filtering means orrnaterial to providefa lilter. element21 offanysuitable type.`r The iilteringmeans or, material is formed to'extendfentirely across the chamber. formed by the casingll'l from within theside wall, 16 andrto` entirely cover bottom Vwall 17. In the present instance it is proposed to formA tlielter element 21' of vltering materihwhich has beenrpressedor moldedfto substantially tit: the Ashape ofthe iinterior of'the casing A14.

The annular part I19 Vofthewall y17 is adapted to-be radially` and ciicunifcrelltiallyfslotted insuch manner that spacing fmembersfZmay he bent downwardly from4 the annular partr 195toy providespaced land `annulally disposed inletaaenis-auhesfhafindiatedlt.23. The-memes. 23e. ,Prc death@- Olllr ,airilet means extending. through the casing 1,4 for the admission of air to be cleaned by 2,905,265 Ratented Sept. 2.2, 1 95%92 ICC 2. the filter element 21. Surrounding the lower part of.V the casing 14.-is.an inlet closure or-casing 24. Which, is formed by, a continuous side wall 26` and a closed lower or bottom wall-27.- Thesidewall 26 .may b e uniformly spaced from the-side wall 16 to provide an-.annnlar inletpassage 28 leading to the. lower part ofthe, cleaner casing .16.,and to the inlet openingtmealns 23.. The lowerfwall 27 has an outwardly vdepressed annular part.29and an upwardly and inwardly depressed central part 31. The part.31 is adaptedto-eXtend within. butiin spaced relationto. the part- 18 of-pthet-wall-17 of the` cleaner casing. 14. The outwardlydepressed part 29.0tthe lower wall 27 is spaced below theA lower extremityofv the spacing means or supports 22 and provides anoil chamber or. sump indieatedat 32. rl'he oil chambery or-.sump 32i is, adapted to b-e iilledwithoil duringthe operation ofthe device rtothe levelqindicated -at 33.

Thegcentraipart 31eXtends upwardly withinthe wall 17 j. to a1: height,V exceeding t the oil` level;I 33,.l

Between ;,thelower walls-17 and;27fis.an oilicontrol balelrfor the cleaner 12. Thebafe 34. may be formed to provide an; .upwardly depressed part 36which may fit the exterior surface-of the, upwardly depressed part-18 of thegwall 17.- Beneaththeinlet'openingsV 23the outer part or-the; liaie-34jmay=slope downwardly toward ther-outer extremities` of the, openings zfandg thenupwardly where the o uteryperipheral g edge of the; baille; approaches;4 the Wall 26;, The. outerfendsofthe supports22`are adapted toengage andito restupony the baille 34.l The* wall-2 6 may` be formedrto. provideribs 37 for` engaging and'supporting-the outer peripheralfedge of the bafe for compressing thefbailiey against the supports 22 and the outer surface ofthe partlfof'thewall 17. Thespace between the ribs.37=`andftheclearance betweenv the; edge of the balev34iand the wall 26xprovides passage means through which the oil' may circulate from the under -to the upperside4 ofthe baille during operation of the cleaner. The inlet casingZl:v may be held in position around the cleaner casing 14 by fastening means .such as the boltand wing-.nut device indicatediat 38. The head of` the bolt mayengage the inner surface of the wall 1'7 andthe bolt may extend through and be staked within aligned openings in the walls 17? and 27 and the bale 34 so thatwhen the wing nut is tightened the casings 14 and 24=will ybe secured together in such a way as torstress the baille-Sltl betweenthe ribs 37, the lower ends of the spacing members 221and-theouter surface of the part 18 ofthe wall 17.

Itwill be apparent that when the Wingnut is removed theinlet casing 24 may be entirely removedv from vthe casing 14 and the baffle 34l so that the casing may be cleanedvk and new oilmay be supplied to fill the-sump 32.

The upper wall 39v forming a cover for the cleaner 12 may be generally arcuate in formation toprovide an outlet chamber 411- aboutv the lterr element 211 and the casing 14; The space above the upper wall may be enclosedy by a; cylindrical' wall` or-sleeve indicated at 42; The adjacent` edges of the walls 16, 39i-and 4,2-may be angedoutwardly aty 43-,to provide means for securing they walls` together. Between the vperipheral anges on the walls 39 and 16.it.maybe considereddesirable to provide a screenw44., which .may extend inwardly over the filter element 21forA securingy the filter element Within the casing 1,4. The ilangesonthe walls 42, 39 and 16 `and the outer` edge` of= the ring 44. may be secured together by a bead-46.which inthe present instance is formed by extending theange of one of the walls around theedges of the remaining flanges andthe ring.

It will` be apparent thatthe bead 46 will secure the cleaner, 12 `to, thewall *42l ofthesilencer element 10 so that the cleaner and silencer cannot be disassembled after the structure is manufactured. The filter element 21 likewise cannot be removed from the casing 14 although the filter element may be cleaned by removing the casing 24 and immersing the cleaner 12 in any suitable cleaning uid.

In order to form a suitable resonating chamber in the silencer for silencing noise that may originate within the device with 4which the structure is used, it is proposed to depress the wall 39 upwardly within the space within the wall 42 in such manner as to enlarge the chamber 41 and to provide an obliquely disposed wall indicated at 47. The wall 47 may be flanged outwardly at 4S to provide an opening leading from the chamber 41 above the cleaning element 21. A straight tube 49 also disposed obliquely within the silencer 13 and in normal relation to the wall 47 may be welded or otherwise secured Within the flange 48 to elongate and to extend the passage leading from the chamber 41.

The upper end of the silencer 13 may be formed by a closure, cap, cover or end casing indicated at 51. The end casing 51 may be formed by an upper wall 52 and a lower wall 53, the upper wall being formed to provide a continuous side wall 54 extending laterally toward the lower wall 53 and being provided with a ange 56 around the edge thereof and adapted to be bent around the peripheral edge of the lower wall 53 to provide a bead 57 securing the two walls rigidly together.

rl`he end casing 51 may be elongated in formation as `is shown by Figures l and 2 and may be provided adjacent one end thereof with a relatively large opening surrounded by a flange 58 formed in the lower wall 53. The ange 58 is adapted to be disposed in telescopic relation to the upper end of the wall 42 so that the two may be secured together to close the upper end of the silencer chamber. With such construction it will be apparent that the end casing 51 has a part extending laterally from the upper end of the structure to provide an elongated and relatively wide outlet which may be connected to Ythe induction system of an engine or any other device.

The end of the casing 5l opposite the flange 58 may be flanged as lindicated at 59 to form an outlet passage 6i) and may be slotted around the flange 59 as indicated at 61 to provide means for connecting the structure to the induction passage of any device with which the structure may be used. Attaching means such as that indicated at 62 may extend around the flange S9 for tightening the flange around the induction means.

The end of the casing S1 opposite the flange 58 may be provided with an inner liner indicated at 63. The inner liner is formed in such a way as to substantially t the inside surface of the casing 51 opposite the ange 58 and to extend within the flange 53 except that the side of the inner liner across the part of the casing leading to the outlet from the structure may be formed to provide an obliquely dispo-sed wall 64. The wall 64 is considerably spaced from the obliquely disposed wall 47 and may extend substantially in parallel relation thereto.

It is proposed to secure the end casing 51 permanently and rigidly to the upper end of the side wall 11 in any suitable manner as by spot welding at 66 through the lower ends of the inner liner 63, the flange 58 and the upper end of the wall 42. When the end casing 51 is so secured to the wall 11, it will be apparent that all of the cleaner silencer structure except the inlet casing 24 will comprise an integrally manufactured unit.

In the present instance it is proposed to form the silencer 13 by forming within the end casing 51, the wall 42 and the wall 39 a resonating chamber 67 which may bc tuned in such a way as to attenuate the sound waves moving outwardly in the air flowing through the structure to the induction means. The resonating cham- 1oer 67 may be connected to the outlet passage leading from the silencer by any suitable means such as a tube 68 surrounding the outer end of the tube 49 and secured in spaced relation thereto within a flange 69 formed around an opening in the wall 64.

The silencer 13 also may be provided with sound absorbing means 71 which may be secured against the inside surface of an obliquely disposed part '72 of the side wall 54 of the casing S1 and immediately adjacent the outlet passage 60 leading from the structure. The slope of the wall part 72 is made in such a way as to direct the air flowing through the structure downwardly into the outlet passage 6i). The sound absorbing means 71 may be constructed in any suitable manner as by providing a fibrous body of sound absorbing material 74 within a perforated wall 76 extending across the end of the casing S4. The wall 76 may be provided with flanged ends 77 which may be welded or otherwise secured to the side wall S4 as is indicated at '78. The sound absorbing material 7 4 may be employed to absorb high pitch, hissing sounds that may emanate from the induction means through the outlet opening passage 60.

It will be apparent that the structure 10 is largely formed from a relatively small number of parts secured together in such a way as to constitute a single unit. The only parts which require removal in order to service the structure is the casing 24.

I claim:

l. A cleaner silencer unit comprising a casing having a cover, said cover being formed at one side to provide a flange telescopically engaging another part of said casing, said cover being formed at the side thereof opposite said flange to provide an outlet opening adapted to be connected to an air induction means, an inner lining for said cover and having an edge extending within said iiange and a wall extending obliquely across said cover between said flange and said outlet opening, means securing said cover and said inner lining to said other part of said casing at said liange, a passage formed in said obliquely disposed wall and providing communication between said casing and said outlet, and cleaner and silencer means within said casing.

2. An air cleaner structure comprising a casing forming a chamber and having an upper wall, a lower wall and a continuous side wall, said Lipper wall being formed to provide an outlet from said chamber within said casing, filter means within said chamber and extending entirely across the central part of said chamber and filling the lower part of said chamber and terminating in spaced relation to the upper wall of said casing, annularly disposed inlet opening means formed in the lower wall of said casing adjacent the side wall of said casing and in spaced relation to the central part of said casing, an inlet casing having a lower wall and a side wall and receiving the lower end of the side wall of said casing and being spaced from the side wall and lower wall of said cleaner casing to provide an inlet extending around said cleaner casing and leading to said inlet opening means, and means disposed externally of the central part of said cleaner element for securing said lower wall of said inlet casing to the lower wall of said cleaner casing at the central part of said air cleaner structure.

3. An air cleaner structure comprising a cleaner casing having an upper wall, a lower wall and a continuous side wall, said upper wall having an outlet opening for discharging air from said cleaner structure and said lower wall extending entirely across the central part of said cleaner casing and having annularly arranged inlet opening means formed adjacent said side wall and in remote relation to the central part of said lower wall, air cleaning filter means within said cleaner casing and extending across the central part of said casing, an air cleaner baffle extending across said lower wall and beneath said inlet opening means and having a peripheral edge extending beyond said inlet opening means, an inlet casing having a side wall and a lower wall and being adapted to receive said cleaner casing and said baffle, said side wall of said inlet casing being spaced from Said side wall d 'of said cleaner casing to provide an annular inlet leading to said inlet opening means, said lower cleaner casing wall below said inlet opening means and said baille being formed to provide an oil sump, said inlet casing being for-med to provide abutment means engaging said peripheral edge of said baille and said baille being formed to engage the central part of the lower wall of said cleaner casing, and means ydisposed externally of the central part of said cleaner element for `detachably securing said lower wall of said cleaner casing to said lower wall of said inlet casing.

4. An air cleaner comprising a casing having an upper wall, a lower wall and a continuous side wall and being formed to provide therein a cleaner chamber, a cleaner outlet `formed in said upper wall, a cleaner inlet formed in said lower wall around the central part of said lower wall and adjacent the lower edge of said side wall, said lower wall being depressed inwardly at the central part thereof and within said cleaner inlet means to provide for closing said cleaner chamber to the atmosphere except through said inlet opening means, a baille having the central portion thereof formed to lit said depression in said lower wall and having a peripheral portion extending below and in spaced relation to said inlet opening means, means extending between the outer peripheral part of said lower wall of said casing and the outer peripheral part of said baille for uniformly spacing said parts of said lower wall and baille, an inlet casing having a side wall `and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having a centrally disposed depression formed therein and extending within but in spaced relation to said depressions in said baille and said lower wall of said casing, said lower wall of said casing being formed at the outer peripheral part thereof to provide an annular oil supply chamber extending beneath said inlet opening means and said baille, said )side wall of said inlet casing being spaced from the side wall of said cleaner casing to provide an annular inlet opening leading to said inlet opening means between said baille and said cleaner casing, means formed on the outer peripheral edge of said baille and said inlet casing side wall Afor supporting `said baille, and fastening means for removably securing said inlet casing to said cleaner casing and for clamping said baille between said inlet casing and said cleaner casing, said -fastening means being accessible from beneath the central part of the lower wall of said inlet casing and being adapted to secure the central parts of said lower wall of said inlet casing, said baille and said bottom wall of said cleaner casing in iixed relation.

5. An air cleaner stnucture comprising a cleaner casing having an upper wall and a lower wall and a continuous side wall, said upper wall having an outlet formed therein` for `discharging air from said cleaner structure, said lower wall having annularly arranged inlet opening means formed adjacent said side wall and in remote relation to the central part of said lower wall for supplying air to the interior of said cleaner casing, iiilter means within said cleaner casing for cleaning said air, a baille extending across said lower wall and beneath said inlet opening means and having a peripheral edge extending beyond said inlet opening means, an inlet casing having a Side wall and a lower wall and being adapted to receive said cleaner casing and said baille, said side wall of said inlet casing being spaced from said side wall of said cleaner casing to provide an annular inlet leading to said inlet opening means, an oil sump `formed in said inlet casing below said inlet opening means, annular abutment means formed around said lower wall of said inlet casing and at the outer extremity of said oil sump and between said annular inlet and said inlet opening means `for supporting said peripheral edge of said baille, spacer means projecting from said lower wall of said cleaner casing and adjacent said inlet opening means and within said peripheral edge of said baille and disposed to engage and to support said baille inwardly of said peripheral edge, said iilter means `and said lower wall of `said cleaner casing and said baffle and said lower wall of said inlet casing being formed to extend entirely across the lower part of said cleaner casing with the central part of said lower wall of said cleaner casing projecting into the lower central part of `said filter element and with the central part of said baille projecting into and substantially iltting the exterior surface of said central part of said lower wall of said cleaner casing and with the central part of said lower wall of said inlet casing projecting into but in spaced relation to said central part of said baille, said iilter element in said casing being formed to provide an annular part extending downwardly in said cleaner casing around said central parts of said lower wall of said cleaner casing and said baille and said lower wall of said inlet casing and into the vicinity of said inlet opening means and being formed above said central parts to extend continuously and entirely across said cleaner casing, and fastening means engaging said central parts of said walls and said baille for securing said inlet casing to said cleaner casing and for clamping said baille between said abutment and said Spacer means and within said central part of said lower wall of said cleaner casing.

6. A cleaner silencer unit comprising an elongated cylindrical casing having an outlet ext-ending laterally from one side and at one end thereof and adapted to be secured to air induction means, a wall extending transversely across said casing and dividing said casing into a cleaner chamber and za silencer chamber, air cleaning means associated with said cleaner chamber, outlet passage means formed in said wall and leading from said cleaner chamber to said casing outlet and providing acoustical coupling means between said casing outlet and said silencer chamber, said casing being formed on opposite sides of said wall by wall sections secured against opposite surfaces at the edges of said wall by a seam, said cleaner chamber wall section being disposed substantially concentrically with respect to said silencer chamber wall section but radially inwardly with respect to said silencer chamber wall section, and a cleaner inlet casing secured to the lower part of said casing and having an annular side wall disposed outwardly of said cleaner chamber wall section and substantially in alignment with the outer edge of said seam and providing an air inlet leading to the lower part of said cleaner casing.

FOREIGN PATENTS 473,285 canada' May 1, 

